Exciting Updates: CES and Zilkha Center Merger and New Appointments
Dear members of our CES Community, friends, alumni, and students alike:
I hope this letter finds you well. As we approach the end of another academic year, I am pleased to share some exciting news about the future of our environmental initiatives. Effective July 1, 2024, we will be merging the Center for Environmental Studies (CES) with the Zilkha Center for Environmental Initiatives. This merger represents a significant step forward in our commitment to sustainability and environmental education.
We are excited about the future and the opportunities this merger will bring. We believe that combining the strengths of CES and the Zilkha Center will enhance our ability to address environmental challenges and prepare our students to be leaders in environmental and climate justice, conservation, and sustainability.
I want to assure you that the original mission of CES will persist. We will continue to support our co-curricular programming, including the beloved Log Lunch seminar series and our highly successful summer internship program. These initiatives have been instrumental in fostering a community of environmentally conscious students and will remain a cornerstone of our efforts. Sarah Gardner will continue to run our signature programs as the Deputy Director of Co-Curricular Programs and Community Engagement.
In this transition, we are thrilled to announce that Tanja Srebotnjak will become the Executive Director of the newly structured center. Tanja brings a wealth of experience in sustainability strategy, operations, and education across various settings. Recognizing the growing need for data-driven sustainability assessment and decision-making, she pursued doctoral research in environmental statistics and policy at Yale, where she directed the Yale-Columbia Environmental Performance Index (EPI) and led groundbreaking work in environmental performance assessment. Before joining Williams in 2020 as Director of the Zilkha Center for Environmental Initiatives, Tanja worked in academia, K-12 education, and environmental advocacy and think tank organizations in the U.S. and Europe. Her career has been marked by a dedication to addressing sustainability, climate, and environmental health issues through research, education, and strategic initiatives. We are confident that under her leadership, the newly structured center will thrive and continue to make significant contributions to environmental sustainability and education.
An exciting example of how the newly structured center can facilitate our faculty, staff, and students working together to solve environmental challenges is the recently founded Williams Environmental Justice Clinic. Through technical expertise, the Clinic not only identifies the sources of pollution, but also aims to empower communities seeking justice and reparations. To date, the Clinic has collaborated with communities nationwide and has provided support to 30 students.
Additionally, the Environmental Studies Program that CES has supported will continue as its own entity, serving both the major and concentration in Environmental Studies. We are pleased to announce that Sarah Jacobson, Professor of Economics, will step into the role of Chair of the Environmental Studies Program on July 1. Sarah brings extensive expertise in environmental economics, experimental economics, and microeconomics. She holds a B.S. from Harvey Mudd College, an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Economics from Georgia State University. At Williams since 2010, Sarah is a dedicated educator and researcher, teaching courses such as Introduction to Environmental and Natural Resource Economics and Economics of Environmental Behavior.
I am pleased to report that the Environmental Studies Program underwent an external review this year. Our external reviewers, Craig Brodersen (Yale), Kathryn Morse (Middlebury), Laura Schneider (Rutgers), Jay Turner (Wellesley), and Dharni Vasudevan (Bowdoin), were incredibly impressed by the work our faculty and students regularly conduct. They commended the program for its innovative curriculum, strong commitment to experiential education, and the impactful research being conducted by both faculty and students. The reviewers highlighted the program’s strengths and the significant contributions it makes to the field of environmental studies.
Finally, I am delighted to share that, following the retirement of our long-serving manager Drew Jones, we have successfully hired Elise Leduc-Fleming (’06) as the new Hopkins Memorial Forest (HMF) Manager, effective July 1. Elise brings an exciting perspective and impressive experience to our community. With a bachelor’s degree in Biology and a concentration in Environmental Studies from Williams, and a Master’s in Environmental Management from Duke University, she has over 15 years of professional experience in environmental science, conservation planning, project management, and grant writing. As the Executive Director of the Wareham Land Trust, Elise managed 37 conservation properties, supervised volunteers, and led public education programs. Her background in environmental education, field research, and program management equips her to uphold the HMF tradition of fostering education, research, and reflection. Elise’s passion for conservation and extensive experience make her a perfect fit for this role, and we are confident she will contribute significantly to the success and growth of HMF.
Thank you for your continued support and commitment to our mission. As we embark on this new chapter, we are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead and the collective impact we can achieve. Together, we will continue to foster a vibrant, sustainable future for our community and beyond.
Very best wishes,
José Antonio Constantine
Chair of the Environmental Studies Program
Director of the Center for Environmental Studies
Faculty Fellow of the Davis Center and the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Department News
May 10th, 2024
Log Lunch with Jahnavi Kirtane ’24 and Mirabai Dyson ’24: ENVI Thesis Presentations
May 10th, 2024
Log Lunch with Eve Schaub: Recycling Lies and Plastic Problems: What I Learned from a Year of No Garbage
May 7th, 2024
Megamenu Social